Issue No. 15, December, 1974
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rtJMBER FIFTEEN DECEMBER 1974 TEN CENTS Gallagher attacks union as industry collapse looms aces ereat Growing unemployment and pressure from the em with the NSW Branch leadership before union mem fer). The 17 who refused to join the (Federal)1 ployers and from the employers' state are forc bers on the job sites, saying "we are here to take union then refused to work with the others, and ing open rifts in the bureaucratic hierarchy of over the NSW branch, not to indulge in silly de were promptly sacked by the company. However, the Australian trade union movement. While the bate before supporters of Mr' Owens" (quoted in most returned to the site the following week de overwhelming majority of union officialdom backs Sydney Morning Herald, 15 October 1974)1 manding reinstatement, only to be escorted off the central policies of Hawke -- wage restraint Whatever Gallagher may say, the employers have the site by cops -- while Federal BLF officials and accepting unemployment -- sectional interests shown consistent support for his takeover, and stood by. Crane operators (members of the and inter-bureaucratic rivalries produce serious have pursued a highly conscious, organised cam Federated Engine Drivers' and Firemen's Associ divisions as officials, caught in a bind between paign closely coordinated with Gallagher's 'ef~ ation (FEDFA)) who had walked off on 18 October capitalists demanding concessions and union mem forts. On 21 October the NSW MBA held a special to protest the Federal BLF supporters' working bers whose living standards are constantly under meeting, and only hours after Gallagher had pro on the job now went out again for the same attack, must police the rank and file of the claimed that the takeover effort would continue reason, but also in support of reinstating the unions for the bourgeoisie. announced that the MBA would '''actively encourage" sacked NSW BLF members. Gallagher responded by One of the most criminal results is the war the smashing of NSW BLF green bans by recruiting sending Victorian BLF crane drivers to Sydney tc work the cranes. A ruling in the State Indus being waged by Norm Gallagher, General Secretary scab labour. Said Rocher ominously, "judging b'y of the Federal Builders' Labourers' Federation the unemployment we have seen we will have no trial Commission on 31 October required the com- (BLF). against the union's NSW Branch. The split in the BLF is a serious threat to the survival of that union and could completely destroy the possibility of working-class resistance to the imminent massive layoffs and further bankruptcies in the building industry, particularly in NSW. Directly responsible for this disastrous split, Gallagher -- and the Maoist Communist Party of Australia Marxist-Leninist of which he is vice chairman -- stand revealed as abject servants of the bosses. Gallagher has tried to subjugate the NSW Branch before. In February of this year, he wrote to the NSW MBA declaring that entry rights for NSW Branch officials to job sites were with drawn,~enly inviting anti-union action by the bo"s-ses'. Lat~r, he nleato' fi1<:e'tl\e''NSW"'Bi'atfC'Tt to the bosses' courts, but failed. His new take over bid began with announcements on the ABC radio program PM on September 9 that the BLF Federal Management Committee (FMC) had decided to take over the NSW Branch; that he would take legal action to seize the property, funds and 22 October -- Police inspector Reid (left) talking to officials of the NSW BLF assets of the NSW Branch; and that he was meet after they were removed by cops from the NSW Institute of Technology site on Broadway. ing the same day with representatives of the NSW trouble getting the men" (Sydney Morning Herald, pany to rehire the sacked workers, but Watts re MBA to discuss setting up a new branch, with the 22 October 1974). At the same meeting the MBA fused to comply and on 6 November, five NSW BLF aim of extracting a promise from employers to decided to generally favour the Federal branch members and two FEDFA crane drivers occupied two hire only card-carrying members of this bogus by recommending, to MBA members that Federal cranes at the NSWIT site demanding, according to branch (The Australian, 10 September 1974). union officials be given unlimited access to job Owens, that the men be rehired (Sydney Morning These announcements were received with smug sites, while giving access to the officials of Herald, 7 November 1974). During its second satisfaction by the bosses such as RL Rocher, the legitimate NSW union only during smokoes and week, the occupation was abandoned when a goon executive director of the NSW MBA, who declared lunch hours (MBA "All Member Circular No 81/ squad of Gallagher's men threatened to burn down that Gallagher "would be far more likely to be 1974", cited in Digger,S November 1974). This the crane, and police immediately arrested the reasonable" with the bosses than the NSW BLF only confirms the truth of reports from the NSW occupiers (Tribune, 19 No~ember 1974). (quoted in The Australian, 10 September 1974). Branch of pervasive employer pressure on workers The struggle was only confused by the initial to join the Federal union. walk-off of the 17 NSW BLF supporters. It re Gallagher gave the MBA good evidence that he flected the policy pushed by the NSW BLF leader would be more "reasonable", citing as reasons for So far Gallagher has had little success. It ship and the Communist League (CL) (which has the FMC intervention the NSW Branch's "irrespon is probable that he has signed up between 300 and supporters in the union) of striking all jobs sible" militancy, that the NSW Branch had "gone 500 builders' labourers for the Federal branch, where Federal BLF members are employed. (In one too far on green bans", and accusing it of "cre and this figure is likely to increase slowly in the immediate future. Aside from threatening case, at Dillinghams in Sydney, this included ating the grounds for deregistration" with "hare backing demands that the company fire Vince brained" tactics (BLF Victorian Branch News workers who don't join the Federal branch with Ashton, one of Gallagher's appointed organ letter, 7 November 1974) -- precisely what the the loss of their job, Gallagher has appealed to MBA has been saying for years. However, in the conservative workers who resent time and money isers -- The NSW Builder's Labourer, undated.) face of such obvious collusion with the MBA lost due to strikes. It appears that on this The FEDFA has likewise decided not to work with Gallagher has constantly shifted his ground in basis, one whole job in Parramatta (about 150) Federal BLF members. trying to justify his takeover bid. Many of joined Gallagher's union. Even though Gallagher's Federal branch in NSW Gallagher's charges against the NSW BLF or its Characteristic of both Gallagher's behaviour is completely bog~s, the Federal BLF is not. officials have been concocted only after he an and the response of the NSW Branch leadership Gallagher is completely to blame for splitting nounced the takeover on 9 September. The most have been the events at the EA Watts company NSW the Federation. However, this must be made persistent concern alleged financial chicanery by Institute of Technology (NSWIT) site on Broadway. crystal clear not only to those builders' NSW branch officials; but not a shred of real Here Gallagher intersected a dispute in progress labourers in NSW who have been cajoled, duped or evidence of corruption has yet been produced. over the obstruction by Watts of a transfer·of a threatened into joining the fake Federal branch, But even if Gallagher's charges were true, his builders' labourer from another site to the but also to those throughout Australia who have wrecking operation in NSW would be just as crimi Broadway job. Workers on the NSWIT site resisted been fed Gallagher's poisonous lies. The/Owens/ nal. The fact is that the current Owens-Pringle strike action for fear of lost wages. At the Pringle policy allows Gallagher to confuse the issue. In order to isolate Gallagher it is Mundey NSW BLF l~adership, whatever its flaws, same time pressure from the boss to join the fake was elected by an overwhelming majority in Federal union was so great that even Mr Justice necessary, instead of labelling all Federal October 1973 -- and there is no evidence of any Sheehy of the State Industrial Commission com branch recruits "scabs", to demonstrate that it irregularity in that election. Gallagher, of mented on it (quoted in ~ibun1, 5 November is the NSW BLF which consistently upholds unity course, did not bother to consult the rank.and 1974). As a result, on October! 18 builders' against the boss, taking action against Federal file in NSW at all before moving in. His com labourers on the site voted 19 ito 17 to support branch members only when they refuse solidarity ag4inst employer attacks on the NSW Branch -- for plete contempt for the NSW BLF membership came the Federal union, which promi~ed peace (by aban- out when he refused to debate his differences 'doning the defence of the worker seeking a trans- example, when the employer harasses NSW Branch members or victimises them in order to force ac ceptance-of~allagher' s splinter branch. " But the blanket tian on these workers by CPAers Owens and Interview with Edmund Samarakkody . .. page 3 Mundey shows their narrow, parochial concerns for /protecting their own base at the expense of a Popular fronts and revolutionary strategy Iserious fight against Gallagher throughout the in Chile ..